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Midwich Records was founded in 2008 as a partnership between Southern Records and Steven Collins of acclaimed UK contemporary folk/rock outfit The Owl Service. A loose collective of highly talented "folk outsiders", the Midwich roster has expanded to include not only Collins' own group, but also The Straw Bear Band, The Kittiwakes, Jason Steel, Ellen Mary McGee and Nancy Wallace, whose Old Stories album (WYND001) will be the label's first offering. Old Stories is a good indication of what to expect from Midwich - a beautifully crafted album, as likely to appeal to fans of Espers, Devendra Banhart and Current 93 as devotees of the Watersons and Shirley Collins.
The Midwich label aesthetic is informed by such eerie '70s cinematic artefacts as The Wicker Man, Blood on Satan's Claw and Witchfinder General, the timeless "weird fiction" of Arthur Machen and John Wyndham (from whose novel The Midwich Cuckoos the label takes its name), legendary progressive labels such as Vertigo and Harvest, and the seminal British folk recordings of Topic and Trailer/Leader that still provide the inspiration for waves of creativity both in Europe and the US.
Forthcoming releases... a full-length CD from Dorset's finest, The A. Lords... The Straw Bear Band's epic magnum opus, "Eccentric Heart"... debut albums from Jason Steel, 0 and The Kittiwakes, an EP of dark American covers from 5 Midwich artists entitled A Conversation With Death
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ELLEN MARY McGEE The Crescent Sun (WYND004CD) 10 track CD album in gatefold card wallet, released June 2009.
"Backing herself on guitar, banjo and zither Ellen’ songs are steeped in folk traditions, although one or two have definite echoes of the earlier ensemble playing inspired by Movietone which Saint Joan fans will recognise immediately: ‘Theseus’ and ‘From The Stars’ spring to mind. ‘A Watch of Nightingales’ is a particularly strong opening for the album which showcases her voice majestically, and ‘The Fatal Flower Garden’ is one of those songs which are so timelessly brilliant they seem as if they must have been plucked from a dog-eared book of folk-song (actually it’s long been a favourite of her live set). ‘Lord Franklin’ is a traditional arrangement which will be (or should be if you’ve been paying attention!) recognised from the TEA-2 compilation CD released in October last year to coincide with the London Terrastock Tea Party. My personal favourite of the whole set though is ‘Teeth of the Hydra’, which features a haunting guitar into, a metronomic rhythmic backing from Ellen herself and an edge to her voice which is completely and utterly chilling. A wonderful centrepiece to a brilliant album on which all of Ellen’s many talents really do seem to finally come together – I can’t recommend this one enough." Terrascope Online
Order now from our webstore .
Also available now from Southern Records , all good independant stores and Amazon or HMV if needs must.
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THE OWL SERVICE & ALISON O'DONNELL The Fabric of Folk (WYND003) 5 song EP on clear vinyl, limited to 500 copies for the world, released March 2009
The story of this release goes back to a brief exchange between Owl Service main man Steven Collins and Alison O'Donnell (of the legendary Irish prog-folk group Mellow Candle) on a social networking website in the Spring of 2007. The Fabric of Folk is a collision between two ages of folk-rock; Alison was intrigued by the sound of The Owl Service, Steven had been in awe of Swaddling Songs for many years and so a collaboration seemed inevitable. Fabric... contains two original Collins/O'Donnell compositions (one with lyrics penned by Dominic Cooper of the Straw Bear Band), a short instrumental interlude, and two traditional reworkings. The original songs bookend the EP in perfect fashion and Alison's treatment of the traditional material in between is masterful. From the ominous opening track The Wooden Coat to the epic finale The Fabric of Life, the listener is taken on a journey through themes of life and death, all handled with a pathos and poignancy so rarely heard in modern folk music.
Order now from our webstore .
Also available now from Southern Records , all good independant stores and Amazon or HMV if needs must.
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NANCY WALLACE Old Stories (WYND001CD) 9 track CD album in gatefold card wallet, released January 2009.
"Delightful Brit folk long-player from The Memory Band singer and Owl Service contributor Nancy Wallace, who previously recorded an EP of '70s disco anthems, all arranged in a pared-down acoustic style in keeping with her folk background. Rather than sounding irritatingly kitsch or like an unnecessary novelty, the Young Hearts EP (for that was its title) actually came across as strangely poignant - largely due to the honesty and steadiness of Wallace's voice, and now these same elements light up this excellent debut solo album. Old Stories combines original compositions with new arrangements of traditional songs, and stylistically there's a decent cross-section here: Wallace is equally comfortable with the modern, string-laden balladry of 'Waiting' as she is with the squeezebox-driven, vehemently old-school 'The True Lovers Farewell'. A fine voice and an accomplished musician, there's something very genuine about Wallace, and Old Stories is a fittingly well-crafted album." www.boomkat.com
Order now from our webstore .
Also available now from Southern Records , all good independant stores and Amazon or HMV if needs must.
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A MIDWICH RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY
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WYND001 NANCY WALLACE Old Stories
WYND002 NANCY WALLACE Live in London 3" CD
WYND003 THE OWL SERVICE The Fabric of Folk 12" EP
WYND004 ELLEN MARY McGEE The Crescent Sun
WYND005 THE OWL SERVICE The Petrifying Well
WYND006 JASON STEEL Eternal Embers 3" CD
WYND007 THE TRYSTING TREE Midnight House (and other tales)
WYND008 THE KITTIWAKES Lofoten Calling sampler 3" CD
WYND009 VARIOUS ARTISTS Conversations With Death CD EP
WYND010 THE KITTIWAKES Lofoten Calling
WYND011 NANCY WALLACE I Once Had a Sweetheart 7"
WYND012 JASON STEEL Fire Begot Ash
WYND013 THE A. LORDS The A. Lords
WYNDXMAS001CD VARIOUS ARTISTS A Midwich Midwinter 3" CD
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The Straw Bear Band From the Sea to the Stars can be ordered from www.midwich-cuckoos.co.uk or from the Straw Bear Band's MySpace profile. The Owl Service A Garland of Song is out on vinyl and CD and can be ordered direct from Southern Records . Nancy Wallace's Young Hearts EP is available from the webstore at www.midwich-cuckoos.co.uk